By Lord DonalBane of Blakmers
After 16 War Points: East Tygers 13, Midrealm Dragons 3
The Grand Armies of the Midrealm and East renewed Pennsic XL Thursday as they met for Bridge Battle.
This year’s bridge battle consisted of three last-man-standing fights over five bridges. The side that possessed the most bridges after 30 minutes or swept the field after each fight would claim a War Point.
The East lined up on the west side of the field looking to press their advantage. Though the lines did move during the battle, the East generally had the Bog Alliance, The 404 and Æthelmearc to the north, the Northern Army took the center, and Atlantia and the Southern Army were to the south. The Tuchux were held in roving reserve.
Determined to turn the tide of War, the Midrealm lined up on the east side of the field. The Midrealm had the Oaken and Constellation armies along with Ironlance to the north, Midlands, Pentamere and other elements to the center and Calontir and Ealdormere holding the south. The Darkyard Legion was generally held in reserve.
The Midrealm also got a boost before the first fight, as Black Talon switched sides and set up its massive war shields on the southern bridge.
The first fight saw both sides see-sawing back and forth on the bridges. Charges and counter-charges happened in both directions but it was the Tuchux who started the endgame.
A solid wave of black swept onto the south-central bridge, pushing the Ealdormeran army to its breaking point. That pocket held, but the Midrealm soon had to commit its last reserves to staunch a surge on the south bridge.
The breakthrough came on the north central bridge, as Æthelmearc broke out and charged in both directions. Despite a heroic effort from the Oaken army, which broke through the initial Æthelmearcian charge on the north bridge, the East’s forces swept the field and claimed the first War Point.
The Midrealm then got a big boost as the Unsterblichen marched across the field.
HRM Arch of the Midrealm explained why one of the East’s most stalwart forces decided to change sides.
“For several days, Duke Andreas Icefalcon has given wise counsel to his king,” HRM Arch said. “He offered to have his forces switch sides to make the numbers more even. Everybody had fun.”
With the Midrealm’s new allies posted on the southern bridge, the second fight began. This time the Midrealm chose to have the majority of its forces stick to their edge of the bridges and form kill pockets. The strategy worked as the East was unable to break though early.
Darkyard started the end game when a huge charge on the south center bridge. Only the intervention of the Tuchux prevented a collapse.
With that move foiled, the East’s forces on the center bridge were able to break out, but the fight had cost them nearly all their forces.
Meanwhile, the Midrealm pushed forward on the remaining bridges and Oaken and Constellation forces were able to rout the East’s forces on the north.
House Darkmoon then made a decisive move. Leaving a small force behind to guard the north bridge, Darkmoon turned south, rolled out a force of Gleann Abann warriors attacking the north central bridge and ran onto the central bridge which had no Eastern warriors left on it.
The move proved decisive as the north, north central, central and south bridges all belonged to the Midrealm after 30 minutes, giving the Midrealm a War Point.
The third battle allowed for combat archers, thrown weapons and siege weapons. The archers had a field day dealing with the static forces, as both side had heavy losses due to arrow and bolt fire.
With the ranks on both sides thinned, the East was able to concentrate its forces in the center to break through. The Northern Army led the charge over the central bridge and slowly rolled up both sides of the field, leading to an East victory and the third War Point.
There were smiles and hugs on both sides of the field after the fight.
HRM Arch simply said of the fight “That was spectacular.”
There was one other armored combat War Point on offer Thursday as the Allied Champions Battle took place. This year, the fight was a 30-minute unlimited resurrection fight followed by a last-man-standing fight. The side that held the field after resurrections had ended would claim the War Point.
Under the watchful eye of Master Rouslon of the East, 113 warriors allied to both the East and Midrealm met on a 250 feet by 200 feet battlefield. The fight was a rollicking but friendly affair.
In the end, the East’s allies were able to sweep the field of the Dragon’s allies in 3:46 after the final resurrection was allowed.
Friday’s Big Battle: The Field Battles
Pennsic XL closes its armored combat War Points with the big one. There will be three no-resurrection fights with each worth one War Point. The last man standing on each field will win. Be advised that, while there will be no newspapers produced Saturday, a full report will be available at www.pennsicindependent.com.
As always to the warriors of the Known World, HOOBAH, VIVAT, HUZZAH and WASSAIL until the next Pennsic War.